The last time Hunter was on the field, he suffered a lacerated spleen that ended his season after 12 games. The next time Hunter steps onto the field, he’ll be catching passes from new rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota -- and facing competition for his job from rookie WR Dorial Green-Beckham. “It’s always (about competition) in the NFL,” Hunter said. “Your spot can always be taken. Everywhere you go, everyone is fighting for a position. In the NFL, the only thing that changes is the name on the back of the jersey.” Hunter showed flashes of his potential last season, such as a two-week stretch against Cleveland and Jacksonville when he caught a combined six passes for 176 yards (averaging nearly 30 yards per reception) and one touchdown. Meanwhile, Green-Beckham is regarded as a tremendous athlete and one of the most talented receivers in the draft. “He’s another big guy like me, but he has more size on him,” Hunter said. “Competition is going to bring out the best in us.” Nobody should count on either in redraft leagues without seeing direct evidence during training camp and exhibition play.

Justin Hunter 2014 Outlook

Hunter demonstrated the big-play potential the Titans envisioned when they selected him in the second round of last year’s draft with the 34th overall pick. Building off his 18-catch, 354-yard and four-touchdown showing this season and beyond will involve Hunter becoming a bigger (heavier and stronger) player this offseason. Hunter will try to do so without losing that big-play ability. Worth noting: Four of Hunter’s catches gained 40 or more yards and he led the Titans with a per-catch average of 19.7 yards that ranked 16th in the NFL and sixth among players that made at least 16 catches. The franchise record for per-catch average has a minimum qualifying ratio of 32 receptions per 16 games, a record of 23.5 yards per catch. Hunter missed that ratio in his 14 games played, but his average is the second-highest by any player with at least 10 catches during the Titans era (1999-present). Hunter is definitely a player worth watching in later rounds of your draft.